Young Researchers Immersed Themselves in the Quantum World

Overview

In keeping with the international quantum year "Quantum 2025", around 600 children experienced the fascinating phenomena of quantum physics live at the Würzburg children's university on 18 October.

The lecture "Of quanta and cats" took the young guests on an exciting journey into the world of the smallest particles. Professor Ralph Claessen from the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy and spokesperson for the Würzburg and Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, explained to them why quanta are sometimes waves and sometimes particles, how the quantum mechanical phenomenon of the tunnelling effect works - i.e. why particles can penetrate an energy barrier even though, according to classical physics, they would not be able to do so energetically - and what the current Nobel Prize for Physics has to do with all of this. Using beach balls and la-ola waves, the children then found out for themselves how quantum particles can "tunnel" through walls.

Experiments showed just how crazy things are in the quantum world. Schrödinger's cat, or Kitty Q from the game app "Kitty Q - A Quantum Adventure", was not to be missed. Kitty Q made for astonished faces when she came out of her box half dead and half alive.

Child-friendly Introduction to the World of Quantum Physics
A special highlight awaited the children in the atrium of the new university afterwards: in the "Kitty Q Gaming Lounge", the children delved even deeper into the world of quanta and discovered the quantum world in a playful way together with Schrödinger's great-granddaughter Anna and Kitty Q in the "Quantum Adventure". At the stand next door, they were allowed to take home colouring pictures and quantum knobs.

"We want to get children interested in science at an early age and show them that physics is fun and explains the world," says Claessen. "Quantum physics often seems abstract - but if you teach it in a playful way, it opens up a fascinating new world for children with many seemingly crazy things that prove their practical use in numerous everyday objects, for example in mobile phones."

With the Children's University, the University of Würzburg regularly offers exciting insights into current research topics - always at eye level with young explorers. According to the event team, the large crowds on Saturday once again showed how strong the interest in science is even among the youngest.

Upcoming Events
The next children's university will take place on 13 December on the topic of "Greek & Roman heroic stories". Anyone who would like to delve even deeper into the world of quantum physics is cordially invited to the Long Night of (Quantum) Physics on 14 November, a science event for the whole family in the natural sciences lecture hall building at Hubland.